Come As You Are
by muppet47
Summary: "Are you guys staring at me because of my costume?" 1st place in the public and judges' vote in the First Annual 12th Precinct Halloween FanFic Contest. Awesome, awesome cover art by Angie from 12th Precinct (blogspot . com)


Come As You Are

* * *

"Werewolf. That's a werewolf."

Kate tried very hard not to roll her eyes. "It's not a werewolf, Castle."

"Kate. It's Halloween. It's a _full moon_ on Halloween." Castle pointed to the dead man on the ground, the bloody and ripped flesh of his arm clearly visible through his ragged clothing. "It was eating the victim. It's a werewolf."

Lanie sat back on her heels away from the vic, trying to keep her full skirt off the alley floor. Kate heard her sigh. "It's not a werewolf." Lanie sounded exasperated. Kate figured she would too, if she were up to her elbows in blood at 10:30 on a Saturday night while wearing what looked like an old-timey saloon girl costume.

"Yeah, bro. Halloween's not for another four days." Esposito stepped back into the circle of light around the dead body, returning from tying up the dog that Kate refused to believe was a werewolf.

"Close enough. And there _is_ a full moon." Castle stopped. "I'm sorry. I can't take either one of you seriously dressed like that. Espo, are you supposed to be a cowboy?" He gasped. "Were you guys at a Halloween party _without us_?"

"We were, um…" Esposito fumbled for words, clearly uncomfortable in his checkered shirt and bandana.

"It was a private party at my house." Lanie interrupted. "And the rest is none of your business."

"Wow." Castle looked like he was biting his own lip to keep from laughing. "Are those chaps you're wearing the assless kind?"

Seriously. Kate was going to have interrogate Lanie about that later.

"Whatever." Esposito snorted at Castle. "You're wearing a cape."

Kate cinched the belt of her coat a little tighter and held her breath, but before Castle could answer, Ryan stepped into the circle of light.

"Hi guys."

Dressed as…holy shit, what was he?

The dog started barking like crazy, the sound echoing throughout the alley.

The rest of them were struck silent, staring at Ryan, who was head to toe in some sort of foam costume that looked like meat. No wonder the dog was losing it.

Ryan glanced around at their slack-jawed faces. "Are you guys staring at me because of my costume?"

"Yes. Yes we are." Esposito's eyes were about to fall out of his head. "What _are_ you?"

Ryan sighed. "I had to come right from Jenny's brother's Halloween party, okay? Jenny and I were Bacon and Eggs."

"That. Is. Awesome." Castle was about to burst.

Kate was trying so, so hard not to laugh. "Why didn't you take it off before you got here?"

Ryan had to turn his whole foam encased body to look at her. "I would have, but all I have on underneath is my underwear."

Esposito was shaking his head. Ryan looked faintly indignant. "What? This foam is hot!"

"I can't even look at you right now, bro."

Ryan ran his eyes up and down Esposito's Western flair. "Whatever, Roy Rogers. This is cute."

"Who told you that? She was lying."

"Guys!" Lanie sounded irritated. She had to be cold, seeing as how she was half-naked. "Can we please start working so we can go home?" She narrowed her eyes when Ryan turned to look at her. "Not a word from you, bacon."

"Uh, okay." Ryan was obviously trying not to stare at Lanie's boobs. He squinted against the loud, echoing barking. "What's with the dog?"

"He might have, um, evidence on, or…within his person." Kate shot a look to Castle. "Don't say werewolf."

"What?" Ryan frowned, confused

"He was eating the victim."

Castle coughed into his fist. "Werewolf."

Kate sent him a side glare.

Ryan covered his mouth. "Ughh. That's so disgusting."

Lanie whipped her head around, the feathers in her hair dancing, and pointed at Ryan. "Do NOT throw up, Ryan. I'm serious. This scene is messy enough already."

"I'm not going to throw up."

Kate took a step back. Ryan's choked delivery didn't inspire confidence.

"No, really. I'm fine." Ryan turned his head away from the mangled body of the victim, his gaze falling on Castle. His eyes widened. "Are you wearing a cape?"

Castle held it out. He looked ridiculously pleased with himself. "It's my Batman costume. I was trying it on when the call came in."

"Where's your mask? Your bat ears?"

"Please. We're working. That would be unprofessional."

"But a cape isn't?"

Castle huffed. "Fine. Beckett said I couldn't wear the mask."

"Beckett said, huh?" Esposito glanced at Ryan and Kate felt the stirrings of panic.

Castle was very carefully not looking at her. "Yeah, I mean, when I got here, she made me take it off." He cleared his throat. "Because that's when she saw it. When I got here. Not, like before." Castle gave the fakest laugh ever.

Kate could feel her cheeks getting hot with anxiety. Or maybe with sympathetic embarrassment for how badly he was blowing this.

"It's not like we were together while I was wearing it or anything. That would be dumb."

How did Castle have a reputation for smoothness and suavity? How?

"Really? You let her order you around like that?" Ryan gave an exaggerated eye roll so he was staring right at Kate. "Why ever could that be?"

"Okay!" Kate couldn't take it anymore. "Everyone shut up." She pointed at Castle, Lanie, Ryan and Esposito in turn. "Wearing a cape, old-timey hooker, breakfast meat, and some sort of western porn star. None of you can talk. If we could actually work this case, maybe you all will have a chance to go back to whatever you were doing in these…these classy and elegant costumes."

Ryan was unfazed by her outburst. He cocked an eyebrow, his lips twisted into what would be a smirk, if bacon could smirk. "Where's your costume, Beckett?"

Kate pulled her trench coat around her more tightly. "I'm not wearing a costume."

"Right." Lanie, from her position squatting by the victim, leaned over and patted Kate's calf. "You always wear leather pants to crime scenes."

Kate made an extraordinary effort to stare anywhere except at Castle. "I just…had on leather pants. What?" Thank God it was dark and no one could see that her face was on fire.

"Really? A new look for you, huh? What kind of top do you wear with those leather pants?"

"Yeah, Beckett? What kind of top?" Castle was waggling his eyebrows at her and Kate was going to kill him.

"Wait. Leather pants? Like, part of a cat suit?" Ryan pretended to gasp. "Are you dressed up as Catwoman, Beckett?" He turned and widened his eyes at Castle. "What a coincidence!"

The smile dropped off Castle's face. "I don't think she's Catwoman."

"Um, excuse me?" Someone was in the alley just outside the light circle, a uniform standing behind Castle. The kid looked about eighteen. Kate closed her eyes and breathed a prayer of thanks for the interruption. Maybe she wouldn't have to kill Ryan immediately.

Castle swiveled around. "You're dressed up as a police officer!" He turned back to the others and stage-whispered, "Not very original, but points for authenticity."

"Castle!"

"Sorry."

"I'm, um…" The kid was having a hard time keeping his eyes off Lanie's cleavage. "I'm supposed to pick up a dog? For evidence?"

"Sure! Right this way." Castle swooped his cape around his shoulders as he stepped toward the back of the alley where the dog was tied up. "Did they tell you the dog's probably a werewolf?"

"Not…no?" The kid's eyes flew to Kate, as if for help. Probably because she was the only person who didn't appear completely insane. Kate made a supreme effort and tried to look as though nothing unusual were going on. Like they always attended crime scenes as if they were on their way to some sort of demented rave. The kid's eyes tracked back to Castle. "Is that a cape?"

"Yeah. Awesome, right?" Castle stopped. "Uh oh."

Kate suddenly realized she hadn't heard the dog in several minutes. "What?"

"He's gone! The dog's gone!"

"That's impossible."

Ryan looked nervous. "The dog's free? I don't think it likes me."

"Yes!" Castle fist pumped in victory. "Obviously, the werewolf took on his man-shape and walked away."

"We're the only ones in the alley, Castle." Kate spoke before she realized that doing so would be supporting the werewolf theory.

"Has anyone else been here?" Ryan asked. Kate was glad she wasn't the only one who'd lost her mind.

The kid in the uniform had eyes like saucers. "Is this a Halloween prank?"

"What?"

"No." Ryan adjusted his foam.

Esposito held up the chewed up leash. "This looks like a prank to you?"

"Who's your supervisor?" Castle narrowed his eyes, but Kate could tell he was loving every second. "Heeeey. You just appeared out of nowhere. You sure you're not the werewolf?"

The kid's eyes darted from one to the other. Castle in his cape, Ryan with his foam bacon, and Lanie and Esposito, who had walked right out of The Best Little Whore House in Texas. He looked terrified. "You guys _are_ police officers, right?"

Act normal. Kate put on her best concerned face and looked the kid right in the eye. "Why do you ask?"

* * *

Castle flopped back on his bed, the cape spread out underneath him. "I still think that dog was a werewolf."

Kate hung up her phone and sat down beside him. "You do not." She ran her fingers through the hair at his temple. "You were just trying to torment that poor newbie Uniform."

"Maybe a little." Castle closed his eyes and nudged his head against her hand. "That feels good."

Kate traced her fingers behind his ear, along the soft skin at the back of his neck. "That was Esposito. They found the dog in the next alley over, eating trash out of the dumpster."

"Eating trash out of a dumpster? That's not very werewolfian."

Kate bit her cheek so she wouldn't smile. "Espo said they think it's a coyote."

Castle reared up, delighted. "Really? A coyote? Just like in Naked Heat!"

"Yes, it's all very meta. Except this time there's no actual murder. No ID on the victim yet – they think it's a homeless guy - but he died from cardiac arrest. The only wounds on his body were where the dog – "

"Ate him?" Castle shuddered a little. "Still a little creepy."

"Creepy, but no longer our problem." Kate moved so that she was almost in Castle's lap. "So, what were we doing before we were interrupted? Trying on our Halloween costumes?"

Castle wrapped his arms around her, his fingers under her vest, against her bare skin. "I'd rather take off our Halloween costumes." He brushed his lips against the underside of her jaw before he suddenly lifted his head. "But what exactly do you think Lanie and Esposito were doing in _their _costumes?" He raised his eyebrows. "I'm intrigued."

"That I can figure that out." Kate sucked in a little breath as Castle popped the button on her pants and slipped his hands along her stomach. "The more pressing question is what Ryan and Jenny do while they're dressed as bacon and eggs."

Castle laughed. "Oh my God. Stop. I want to be able enjoy breakfast." He pulled at her pants, his hands stuck at her hips. "These leather pants are misleading. They look super hot, but are impossible to get off. You might as well be wearing a chastity belt."

Kate smiled and lay down, shimming her hips, helping him work the resistant leather down her thighs. "That's another costume idea. What does a chastity belt look like?"

"These pants." Castle abandoned her pants to start unbuttoning her leather vest. "I can't believe Ryan thought you were dressed up as Catwoman. How unoriginal does he think we are?"

"He's not supposed to know we're a 'we'." Kate felt her breath come a little quicker. "But to be fair, not everyone is as well-versed in Batman lore as you are." Her eyes fluttered shut as Castle peeled back her vest, his fingers brushing her collar bone, the sides of her breasts. "As a love interest, Catwoman is way more well-known than Talia al Ghul."

"Humph. Talia is obviously more important." Castle was making headway with her pants. He had moved down her body and was slipping the leather past her ankles, one leg at time. He looked up and locked his eyes with hers. "Batman _married_ Talia al Ghul."

Kate's heart turned over in her chest even as she wanted to roll her eyes at herself. Only Castle could somehow make a conversation about Batman costumes into something romantic.

Her pants were off, and Castle was slowly kissing his way up her body, the Batman cape sliding against her skin. Kate swallowed hard, trying to keep it together for a few more minutes. "Are you going to wear that cape all night?" Her voice might not have been completely steady.

Castle grinned. "I like it. It's versatile. I can be Batman _or_ a vampire." He rose up on his knees, holding the cape out on either side, like Dracula. "I'm going to seduce you now!"

Kate almost laughed out loud. He was so ridiculous. So fun. "You don't have to try very hard."

Castle swooped down, aligning his body with hers and wrapping her in the cape. "I'll show you hard."

"Wait. Where's the Batman mask?"

Castle's eyes went wide with delight. "Yes. Awesome. I think I left it in my office." He kissed her hard before he jumped up and stood beside the bed. "You're the best girlfriend _ever_."

Kate felt a great swell of happiness pushing against her ribs, her chest. She propped herself up on her elbows and shrugged, but she could barely hold back her smile. "Well. I know how much you love dressing up for Halloween."

"You know how much I love you?"

It always took her by surprise. Every time.

"I love _you_." Kate blinked past the moisture in her eyes as the smile broke across her face. "Now go find that mask."

* * *

Thank you so, so much to everyone who voted for this in The 12th Precinct Halloween FanFic Contest.:)

If you haven't already, go check all the entries - so many fabulous Halloween fics! They are on ffnet under the author name TwelfthPrecinct or at the main (awesome) site, .com


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